Titanium dioxide is used as a white pigment in paints, plastics, paper, and specialty applications. Ilmenite is a naturally occurring mineral containing both titanium and iron with the chemical formula FeTiO3.
Two major processes are currently used to produce TiO2 pigment—the sulfate process as described in “Haddeland, G. E. and Morikawa, S., “Titanium Dioxide Pigment”, SRI international Report #117” and the chloride process as described in “Battle, T. P., Nguygen, D., and Reeves, J. W., The Paul E. Queneau International Symposium on Extractive Metallurgy of Copper, Nickel and Cobalt, Volume I: Fundamental Aspects, Reddy, R. G. and Weizenbach, R. N. eds., The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, 1993, pp. 925-943”. Dumon et al (Dumon, J. C., Bull. Inst. Geol. Bassin Aquitaine, 1975, 17, 95-100 and Dumon, J. C., and Vigneaux, M., Phys. Chem. Earth 1977, 11, 331-337) describe the extraction of ilmenite with organic and mineral acids.
The present invention provides new processes for TiO2 production with the ability to use low grade ores that are less energy intensive, that require reduced capital investment and that have a smaller environmental footprint than conventional current production processes.